Sephardic Jews - Language

One major distinction between Sephardic and Ashkenazic Jews was
language. The language of Sephardic Judaism was Ladino (Judeo-Spanish,
Judezmo, Hakatia), which originated in Spain and was later spoken in
Sephardic communities in Turkey, North Africa, and the Balkans. Ladino
is best described as a dialect of Castilian Spanish, with loanwords from
Hebrew, Turkish, and other languages. Originally, Ladino was written
with Hebrew characters and later with the Latin alphabet. It is unlikely
that Ladino is now the day-to-day Language in any Sephardic community,
as most Sephardic Jews now speak the language of the nations where they
live. However, there are individuals who still speak Ladino, and
systematic efforts are under way to record the language. Sephardic Jews
in Portugal and in diaspora communities mainly spoke Portuguese,
although many also spoke Spanish.

Sephardic Judaism has an especially rich literature Including religious
works written in Hebrew, literature written in Spanish and Ladino,
translations into Spanish and Ladino, political tracts written and
translated into various Languages, biblical commentaries, inspirational
works, and a rich folk literature in Ladino, featuring ballads (
romancero
), a number of which have now been recorded and are still performed.

User Contributions:

Comment about this article, ask questions, or add new information about this topic: